Rope soap



July 7, 1970 1.. NEEDLEMAN ROPE SOAP Filed April 5. 1967' /N MENTORLAW/?NC IVEEDLEMAN United States Patent O 3,510,568 ROPE SOAP LawrenceNeedleman, 1300 N. Larrabee St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90069 Filed Apr. 3,1967, Ser. No. 627,714 Int. Cl. Clld 17/04 US. Cl. 25293 8 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rope soap consisting of a bar of soaphaving at least one loose loop of rope extended from one side thereof.The bar defines a plurality of interconnected rope-accommodating groovesin which the loose rope is wound about the bar to form an integrallypackaged unit therewith. The depths of the grooves may be chosen to formprotective belts about the bar. Soap and rope of contrasting colorsand/or complementing textures may be chosen to enhance the appearance ofthe integrally packaged unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventiongenerally relates to soap and like solid cleansing devices and, moreparticularly, to a bar of soap with a rope which is wrappable about thebar to form an integrally packaged unit therewith.

Description of the prior art Various combinations of bars or cakes ofsoap with strings attached to them are presently known. Basically, astring or rope has a portion embedded in the bar to form one or moreloops which extend therefrom. These loops are used to suspend the bar atan accessible position while in use, or use them as handles to apply thebar to an otherwise less accessible part of a body, such as a bathersback. Such bars of soap, often referred to as rope soap, are becomingincreasingly popular with the competition for the consumer marketincreasing in direct proportion.

Though the various presently known rope soaps, now available, fulfilltheir intended functions, they are characterized by a commondisadvantage which relates particularly to their handling and packaging,as well as affects the rope soap as a display item before the soap issold to the consumer. Though the bars of soap have been designed invarious shapes to produce aesthetic effects, the ropes extendingtherefrom generally spoil such effect because they extend from the barsas unrelated appendages.

Generally, the extending ropes are twisted up to hang as unattractivedisorganized appendages which spoil the effect of the bars whendisplayed. Also, the size of the box or container in which the bar isplaced must be increased to accommodate the twisted rope, as Well asextraneous elements, about which the rope is wrapped or to which it isanchored. The rope, as well as the bar of soap tend to soil whichaffects the products marketability. Furthermore, it has been found thatbars of soap are often damaged or scraped during packing and shipmentnot only by the knotted ropes in their respective containers orwrappings, but by the extraneous elements as well.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary objectof the present invention to provide a new improved rope soap whichovercomes the disadvantage of prior art rope soaps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rope soap in which thebar of soap and the rope extending therefrom, form an integrallypackaged unit.

Patented July 7, 1970 is packagable to protect the soap and form anintegral unit therewith.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing aloop of rope extending from a bar of soap, which is provided with aplurality of interconnected grooves about selected sides thereof. Thebasic function of these grooves is to accommodate the loose part of therope extending from the bar of soap, so that rather than tie the looserope as an appendage of the bar of soap, the rope is wrapped around thebar within the grooves to form an integrally packaged unit therewith.

The number and locations of the grooves about the bar depend on the sizeand shape of the bar, as well as on the number of loose rope loops whichextend from the bar and the desired overall appearance of the bar withrope wrapped about it. However, irrespective of the specific groovecombination, it is significant that each bar define grooves or channelsso that the loose rope could be wrapped tightly around it to form aunitary element. The grooves may be controlled to be sufiiciently deepso that the rope therein does not extend about the outer bar surface.However, if desired, shallower grooves may be employed so that when therope is wrapped therein, portions of the rope form protective beltsabout selected sides of the bar. Such belts are useful in protecting thebar from being accidentally dented or otherwise damaged.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention,are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionwill best be understood from the following description, when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is an isometric viewof an embodiment of the invention exemplary of the teachings thereof.There is shown a rope soap 10 consisting of a bar of soap 12 in whichthe ends of a rope 14 are embedded with the rest of the rope extendingthrough side 16 of the bar to form a loose loop 18. I

The loop is made sufficiently large to be looped over a fixture or alimb of the soap user, so that the soap is suspended at a convenientlocation while in use. Bar 12 which has a cross-sectional configuration,best described as arcuate or kidney-shaped, defines a concave groove 20which extends along the backside of the bar from end 16 to an oppositeend 22. The bar defines a second relatively wide groove 24, whichencircles the bar preferably near end 22. Groove 24 opens into or is incommunication with groove 20 at the backside of the bar of soap.

As previously generally indicated, the function of these grooves is toaccommodate the loose rope 14, forming loop 18, during handling displayand shipping, so that the soap and the rope form an integrally packagedunit. FIG. 2 represents such a unit for the particular rope soap 10,shown in FIG. 1. As may be seen from FIG. 2, the rope is not packaged asa separate knotted appendage, but rather is wrapped around portions ofthe bar within grooves 20 and 24.

To achieve the wrapping arrangement, shown in FIG. 2, the loose rope 14is pulled downwardly along groove 20 with one side of the loop wrappedaround the bar within groove 24. At the point of intersection of the twogrooves at the back of the bar, the remaining portion of the rope may bepulled under the rope convolutions in groove 24 and thereafter placed inthe section of groove 20 between the point of intersection of the twogrooves and end 22. If desired, a decorative pin may be used at thepoint of intersection to secure the end of the rope to the bar with therest of the rope snuggly held within the grooves.

The entire unit may be protected from soiling by inserting it into asuitable transparent plastic cover 28 (FIG. 2), shaped to accommodatethe bar and rope therein. Preferably, the depth of groove 24 iscontrolled with respect to the rope cross-section, so that the outersurfaces of the rope convolutions in groove 24 extend above the frontsurface of the bar. These rope surfaces provide sufiicient friction tothe cover to securely maintain it in place, until the cover isdeliberately removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2along lines 3-3 with the cover 28 over the integrally packaged unit.

The depths of the grooves may be controlled to be deep enough relativeto the rope thickness so that the rope is completely accommodatedtherein. Alternatively, some or all of the grooves may be shallower thanthe rope thickness so that portions thereof extend above the outer barsurface, forming a protective band thereabout. Such an arrangement maybe most useful to protect some or all of the sides of the bar of soapfrom being dented during shipment.

FIG. 4 to which reference is made herein, is an isometric view of such aunit. In FIG. 4, elements like those previously described are designatedby like numerals. As may be seen from FIG. 4, the rope 14 encircles thebar 12 about its periphery 12, forming a protective ring thereabout, aswell as protecting the front and back faces by the pair of ropeconvolutions wrapped around the two faces. Though such a unit may bedeemed sufliciently protected, if desired it may be covered by a plasticcover, held in place by the friction between its inner surface and theprotruding rope. To further enhance the marketability of the unit, therope and bar may be of different colors and/or texture to produce ahighly pleasing product.

There has accordingly been shown and described herein a novel rope soap.It includes a bar of soap which defines a plurality of groovesaccommodating the loose portion of the rope extending from the bar, andthereby results in an integrally packaged unit. It should be appreciatedthat differently sized and shaped bars may be used. The bars may be ofsoap or any similar solid soluble cleanser. Also, the number andlocations of the grooves on the bar are subject to choice. The onlybasic requirement being that the grooves be so arranged andinterconnected that the loose rope can be conveniently and easilywrapped around the bar and tightly accommodated within the grooves tointegrate with the bar of soap.

It is appreciated that those familiar with the art may makemodifications and/or substitute equivalents without the arrangements asshown without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, allsuch modifications and/or equivalents are deemed to fall within thescope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rope soap consisting essentially of:

a 'bar of solid soluble soap; and

a rope having its ends embedded in said bar of soap to form a rope loopextending from said bar at one end thereof, said loop being ubstantiallylonger than the largest circumference of said bar and long enough toaccommodate a limb of the bar user therein, said bar defining aplurality of rope-accommodating grooves in selected sides thereof, withsubstantially all the rope extending from said bar being woundable insaid grooves to form an integral unit with said bar during shipment anddisplay, with the size of said unit being substantially equal to thesize of said bar of soap.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the depth of some of saidgrooves is less than the thickness of said rope whereby when said ropeis accommodated in said grooves at least a portion thereof extendstherefrom to form a protective surface about said bar.

3. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said bar comprises a bar ofsoap with front and back sides and defining interconnectedrope-accommodating grooves, at least one circumferential grooveextending around the body of said bar, whereby said rope when woundabout the bar and accommodated in said circumferential groove, definesat least one rope belt around said bar, and another of said groovesextending substantially the full length of said bar along its back sidefor accommodating a portion of the rope extending from said one end andthe rest of the rope which is not wound in said at least one groove.

4. The device as recited in claim 4 further including a plastic coversnugly covering said bar and the rope wrapped thereabout with the depthof some of said grooves being less than the rope thickness so that aportion of the rope extends beyond the bar surface to frictionallyengage said plastic cover to inhibit its accidental remo-val from saidbar.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said bar comprises a bar ofsoap with front and back sides parallel to a longitudinal axis which isperpendicular to said one end, said bar defining a continuous grooveabout the entire periphery thereof between said front and back sides,said continuous groove being shallow with respect to the rope thicknesswhereby the rope in said continuous groove extends beyond the barsurface to form a protective belt about the bar of soap.

6. The device as recited in claim 5 further including a plastic coversnugly covering said bar and the rope wrapped thereabout with the ropewhich extends beyond the bar surface frictionally engaging said plasticcover to inhibit its accidental removal.

7. The method of fabricating a rope soap the steps consistingessentially of:

forming a bar of soap of a selected shape with only the ends of a ropeembedded in said bar, the rope extending from one side thereof to form aloose rope loop, which is longer than the largest bar circumference andwhich is sufiiciently long to accommodate a part of a user body therein,said bar being formed with rope-accommodating grooves extending aboutselected sides thereof; and

wrapping the loose rope in said grooves about said bar to form a unittherewith for shipping and display purposes, the size of the unit beingsubstantially equal to the size of said bar.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein some of said grooves areshallower than the rope cross-section, whereby the rope, when woundabout the bar, forms at least one protecting belt thereabout to protectthe bar surface during shipment and display.

(References on following page) 6 References Cited 838,181 6/ 1960 GreatBritain.

1 22 f fi LEON D- ROSDOL, Primary Examiner 311365 P5256; .1111111111111252292 s SCHULZ, Asssssssss FOREIGN PATENTS C1. X'R 8/1933 Austria.252-92, 174

10/ 1924 Great Britain.

